This brief report presents preliminary data on the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of people of Spanish origin in the United States. The data were collected by the Census Bureau in a supplement to the March 1985 Current Population Survey (CPS), which used independent postcensal estimates on Hispanics. The Hispanic population has grown by 16% since 1980 as a result of high fertility and increased immigration. This is a proportionately larger increase than that for the total population. The Hispanic population has a higher median age in 1985 than it did in 1980 (up from 23.2 to 25) but still lower than the non-Hispanic population. Hispanics had a lower educational attainment level than non-Hispanics, with 14% having completed less than five years of school compared with only 2% of non-Hispanics of comparable age. In 1985, 72% of Hispanic families were married-couple families and 23% were families with single women heading the household. Family composition varied markedly among different Hispanic groups. There was no statistically significant difference between labor force participation of Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations, but the unemployment rate was substantially higher for Hispanics (11.3% versus 7.4%). The median income for Hispanic families in 1984 was $18,800 and for non-Hispanics $27,000. In 1984, the proportion of Hispanic families below the poverty level was more than double that of non-Hispanic families. (CG)

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